MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi termed India as the biggest hurdle to lasting peace in the region.

While speaking to journalists in Multan on Sunday, the foreign minister said that the establishment of sustainable peace and stability in the region is the first priority of the government, but India is disrupting those efforts.

"Prime Minister Imran Khan is serving as the ambassador of Kashmir, Palestine and the Muslim Ummah," said Qureshi, adding that the long-standing conflicts in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Occupied Palestine must be resolved to attain peace in the world.

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When asked about the recently-held elections, the foreign minister remarked that the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have rejected the agenda of PPP and PML-N, and overwhelmingly chosen PTI's mandate.

The minister quipped that PPP did not remember rigging in the elections until they faced defeat, claiming that they were unanimously rejected across all constituencies in Azad Kashmir.

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Addressing the criticism being levelled at the government on the management of the pandemic and the country's growing economic issues, the minister added that Pakistan faces many challenges including inflation and economy, "which our team is working hard to overcome".